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Hydrogen plane runs for three days without refuelling

Engine HALE and hearty

Boeing and
Ford have successfully tested a new hydrogen
aircraft engine with a simulated flight that lasted nearly four days.

The project, called the High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft, is
being run to test the feasibility of having unmanned craft in permanent flight
to act as communications systems that can be quickly and cheaply set up where
coverage by traditional means isn't available.

"This test could help convince potential customers that hydrogen-powered
aircraft are viable in the near-term," said Boeing Advanced Systems president
George Muellner.

The HALE's engine is a modified four cylinder Ford engine that can use
hydrogen as a fuel and run for extended period. In a simulation chamber the
engine ran for nearly four days, powering the craft up to an equivalent of
65,000 feet.

"This simulated flight allows us to showcase the capabilities of Ford's
proprietary hydrogen engine technology and the durability of our four-cylinder
engines," said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president of Ford Research and Advanced
Engineering.

"We are very pleased with the results. The gasoline version of this same
engine can be found in our Ford Fusion and Escape Hybrid vehicles."